WHY STUDY LANGUAGE AND INTERCULTURAL

COMMUNICATION?

A paper

By :

AURA HARFAH DHEA (2019111031)

KEKE YAMONA BASTION (2019111029)
MOHAMMAD FAJAR GUMILAR (2019111040)
MUTIARA SEPTHA ANGELIA (2019111036)
RANTI DWI PUTRI (2016111007)

Lecturer :
MUHAMMAD ALI AKBAR, M.Pd

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTEMENT

FACULTY OF ENGLISH TEACHING TRAINING
EDUCATION
PGRI UNIVERSITY
PALEMBANG
2021/2022
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TABLE OF CONTENT

Contents
TABLE OF CONTENT.............................................................................................................i
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION................................................................................................1
1.1 Background..............................................................................................................1
1.2. Questions of the Problems......................................................................................2
1.3. Objectives................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL STUDY........................................................................................3
2.1 Definition of language, culture and communication................................................3
2.2 The meaning of intercultural communication..........................................................7
2.3 The reason to study language and intercultural communication.............................9
2.4 The characteristics of an ethical intercultural communicator................................20
CHAPTER III CONCLUSION................................................................................................27
3.1 Conclusion..............................................................................................................27
3.2 Suggestion..............................................................................................................27
REFFERENCE.....................................................................................................................28
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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
In learning the language we are never far from culture. Every time we
learn a language from a country or region, of course, we can get to know the
culture too. Many expert say that the language is part of a cultural culture because
that culture develops through the language used by the people every day.
However, many also think that language and culture are completely different,
therefore language and culture have become a complete and inherent unity and
cannot be separated because these two aspects need each other and are always
related.

Language has a very important role in shaping the character of someone

who learns language. Because language can unite every culture which consists of
various cultures within a nation. Therefore, language is a major part of shaping
character and uniting very diverse groups of people. According to Yaqin (2005:
3), Indonesia is one of the largest multicultural countries in the world, because the
horizontal plurality of people from various groups of people who are now
categorized as the Indonesian nation can be divided into various ethnic groups,
groups of speakers of certain languages, as well as into various groups of people.
groups of adherents to different religious teachings. Meanwhile, vertically, the
various groups of people can be differentiated based on the mode of production
which leads to differences in their adaptability..

Tracing back the history of interest in studying intercultural communication

across time is diffi cult not only for historical reasons, but for the multiplicity of
locations, approaches, and scholarly traditions that can be identified as having had
research interests in intercultural communication. As Martin, Nakayama, and
Carbaugh (2012, 17) put it: “The study of intercultural communication and
applied linguistics developed in diff erent ways at diff erent times in various
world regions, with scholars in each region following particular research
trajectories, including accepted practices as well as disjunctures.” Martin,
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Nakayama, and Carbough (ibid.) argue that even the works of scholars such as
Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, and Karl Marx could be viewed as instrumental
to laying the foundations of research and thinking in the area of intercultural
communication. This overview, therefore, is not intended as a thorough historical
review but as simply providing a brief backdrop to traditional research in the area
of intercultural communication, as a preamble for the current volume.

One of the most important reasons for studying intercultural

communication is the awareness it raises of our own cultural identity and
background. The self-awareness imperative helps us to gain insights into our own
culture along with our intercultural experiences. All cultures are ethnocentric by
their very natures.

All societies in the world have culture, one component of culture is value.
Value is a reference or reference that is held as a guide for the behavior of every
member of society or a certain cultural group. Jack Odel said that ethics provides
the framework that everyone needs to implement a code of ethics and morals. A
society without ethics is a society that is ready to be destroyed. Therefore, ethics
or manners are mandatory prerequisites for the existence of a social community.

Studying intercultural communication means we study (including comparing)

other people's cultures, studying one or more other cultures at least as indicated by
their appearance of behavior. If intercultural behavior is a form of values that
contain the ethics of a society or a community then the introduction of other
people's cultural values is also very necessary, we are trying to form a shared
ethical society, namely a society that can live in harmony without fear. It is for the
same reason that it is ethical if we study communication between cultures.

1.2. Questions of the Problems

1. What is the reasons to study language and intercultural communication?
2. What kind the characteristics of an ethical intercultural communicator?

1.3. Objectives
1. To know the reasons to study language and intercultural communication
2. To know what kind the characteristic of an intercultural communication
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CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL STUDY

CHAPTER II THEORITICAL STUDY

2.1 Definition of language, culture and communication
Language

Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. It is the way
by which people communicate with one another, build relationships, and create a
sense of community. There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world
today, and each is unique in a number of ways.

Communication is a core component of any society, and language is an

important aspect of that. As language began to develop, different cultural
communities put together collective understandings through sounds. Over time,
these sounds and their implied meanings became commonplace and language was
formed. Intercultural communication is a symbolic process whereby social reality
is constructed, maintained, repaired and transformed. As people with different
cultural backgrounds interact, one of the most difficult barriers they face is that of
language

The influence and power of language is meaningful to cultural and ethnic

group members. In each speech community -- ethnic, racial, cultural or gender-
related -- language use is of vital importance. Each speech community has its
norms, forms and codes for communication. The interactions of a group of people
vary in many respects: in frequency and value of speaking, interpretation of
speaking performances, and shared language forms. The speech community
maintains the norms and rules of communication, but it may gradually change
them. On the other hand, in every speech community there is a degree of
individual deviation from the norms. Not all group members communicate in the
same way.

 Five functions of language:

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Actually, Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). Mentioned that language has five functions.
They are:

1. Informational

2. Expressive

3. Directive

4. Aesthetic

5. Phatic

"Informational function which every one tends to assume is most important”

Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). In fact, this function concentrates on the message. It is
used to give new information. It depends on truth and value. Let us look at this
example, the car is big, the bus is crowded.

”language can have an expressive function: that is, it can be used to express its
originator’s feelings and attitudes – swear words and exclamations are the most
obvious instance of this”. Geoffery Leech( 1974 ). The speaker or writer of this
function tries to express his feelings. He or she reflexes his or her impression.
This function could give a clear image for the personality of the speaker or writer.
The best example of this kind is Poetry and literature . In fact, this function evoke
certain feelings and express feelings. Examples of this kind are, I am very happy
or I spent a wonderful vacation. We can see from the previous examples that they
reflex the feelings of the speaker or the writer.

The third function of language is the directive function whereby we aim to

influence the behavior or attitudes of others. The most straightforward instances
of the directive function are commands and requests. This function of social
control places emphasis on the receiver’s end, rather than the originator’s end of
the message: but it resembles the expressive function in giving less importance,
on the whole, to conceptual meaning than to other types of meaning, particularly
affective and connotative meaning” Geoffery Leech( 1974 ).
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The fourth function is the aesthetic function, which is ” the use of language
for the sake of the linguistic artifact itself, and for no purpose. This aesthetic
function can have at least as much to do with conceptual as with affective
meaning” Geoffery Leech( 1974 ).

”The function associated with the message-the vehicle-is the poetic or aesthetic
function: the sign taken as an end in itself. All art understood as art is taken to
embody this function, and any object valued for its beauty rather than for its
ideological value or usefulness-whether a gorgeous car, an elegant teapot, or some
acreage of untouched real estate-takes on this function. Although Jakobson,
perhaps more precisely than anyone who preceded him, showed how the aesthetic
function could hinge on structure, he argues that cultural norms ultimately
determine the dominance of this function. As a striking demonstration, he notes
that the aesthetic status that one generation accorded only to the poems of Karel
Mácha, a subsequent generation accords only to his diaries. Jakobson, R.
(1933)”.

According to Leech, the fifth function is the phatic function. ” the function
of keeping communication lines open, and keeping social relationships in good
repair ( in Britain culture, talking about the weather is a well-known example of
this)”. Geoffery Leech( 1974 ).

Communication

Numerous definitions of human communication have been found so far.

Dance and Lurson (1972) found 126 and since then many more have been added
to the list. Nevertheless, we can agree that conmunication is the proess of
transmitting informmation with a purpose of sending or receiving meanings and in
an attempt to create shared understanding (Samovar. Porter, MeDaniel, 2010).
Human communication involves the use of language, although it also involves the
use of non-verbal signs and written symbols.

To be able to communicate, one has to develop a vast repertoire of skills,

such as observing. listening, speaking, questioning, analyzing. gestures and
evaluating. all of which enable collaboration and cooperation. Further, to
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communicate effectively, we must transmit our messages in a way that our

interlocutor will understand what we meant and we must interpret our
interlocutor's message in a way it was meant to be interpreted (Gudykunst, 2004).
Cultural difference can be a barrier to effective communication.

In today's globulised world, people communicate and share information

across different cultures and groups. IC describes a range of problems that oecur
between individuals from various religious, social, economic, political, ethnic, and
educational backgrounds, moreover, problems can occur between individuals of
the same religious background, for example. These include younger and older
people, different musie groups.

Different schools ar places of work, and other. Further, individuals can

belong to the same country, but living in two different villages, cities or regions, It
further expands to individuals of two different countries, Westerm and Eastern
people, and many more. People from the diverse cultures act in an unlike manner,
communicate and perceive the world around them distinctively. Acting involves
body movement- postures, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact.
Communication involves paralanguage - rate of speech, tone and inflection of
voice, laughing. yawning. Apart from spoken and nonverbal communication.

Material culture refers to how we converse through material artefacts

-architecture, office design and furniture, clothing, cars, cosmetic, and time.
Culture determines the way we encode messages, the way we transmit them and
the way these messages are interpreted (Lauring, 2011). When two people
interacting are from the same culture, interpretation of the message is usually
alike. However, when two people interacting are from different cultures, the
interpretation of the receiving message may be very distinctive frotn what the
speaker intended. Thus, it can cause problems, Interpretation is based on our
values, beliefs and expectations for behaviour (CARAP, 2010). Therefore, it is
necessary to develop skills and competences to improve communication so as to
avoid cultural misunderstandings. In
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Culture and language are highly interrelated. Culture influences the

language we use and how we use our language influences our culture (Gudykunst,
2004). For example, "European itu Americans see talk as a means of social
control while Chinese see silence as a control strategy" (Gudykunst, 2004: 194).
This is just one example of differences in language use and cultures that
Gudykunst stated in his work. Others include differences in elaboration and
animation, differences in beliefs, direct vs, indirect use of language, and many
more. Let us brielly look at how learning additional languages helps minority
groups. It helps them in being accepted in a society. However, having learned the
language of a dominant group is not enough to accommodate. Behaviour plays a
major role in acommodation. And behuviour stems out of one's culture. Therefore,
culture plays a significant role in language learning and language leaming plays
an important role in intercultural communication. How one communicates with
other cultures is very much defined by how one learns the second language
(Gudykunst, 2004).

This is where we go back to the competences for successful intercultural

communication. One should possess the desire to communicate appropriately and
effectively, attitude: the awareness or understanding of what needs to be done in
order to communicate appropriately and effectively, knowledge and awareness;
and abilities to engage in the behaviour necessary to communicate appropriately
and effectively, skill (Gudykunst, 2004). The key question that stands out here is,
are these dimensions taught

2.2 The meaning of intercultural communication

We often hear about communication and between cultures, but most of us
often misunderstand communication between cultures. Intercultural
communication plays an important role in everyday life. Communication between
cultures is communication that occurs between someone who has a culture. We
don't just communicate with ourselves or with other family members. When we
go to school, study, or work, we will communicate with people who have different
cultural backgrounds. The process of exchanging information between people
who have different cultural backgrounds is called intercultural communication
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Intercultural communication is a communication between two or more

cultural groups. According to Lustig and Koeser (2003:44) stated “intercultural
communication is a symbolic process in which people from different cultures
create shared meanings”. Intercultural communication is a situation when people
from different cultures shared a meaning and interact with each other. According
to Homer (2008:2) “Shared meaning is the condition where people in society can
understand the perspective of each other and accept it in context of realizing a
desired future”. From the statement we know that shared meaning is a situation
when people understand each other’ perspectives so they can get the agreement,
and ignore the conflict.
The examples of intercultural communication are about different
nationality, religion, age, values and gender. In every human life, the
communication always becomes a key to understand each other. Communication
is a crucial aspect that has an advantage to make a social harmony. For examples
when people from different culture such as different religion have a different
perspective and they cannot understand and tolerate with the other religion, it can
make a conflict rose. The conflict between different cultures can be called by
intercultural conflict.
There are many definitions of Intercultural Communication proposed by
some experts. Sitaram (1970) defined intercultural communication as the art of
understanding and being understood by the audience of another culture. While
Rich (2013, p. 1) stated that communication is cultural when occurring between
peoples of the different culture. It is in line to what stated by Prosser (2012, p.
857) that intercultural communication is communication which occurs under the
condition of cultural difference-language, values, costumes, and habits.
Intercultural communication occurs when a message must be understood is
produced by members of a particular culture to members of other cultures
(Samovar & Porter, 1994, p. 19). The intercultural communication process is the
interaction between the personal and interpersonal communication that done by
some people who have different cultural backgrounds (Liliweri, 2003, p. 13).
Based on those definitions, the researchers concluded that intercultural
communication is a process of sending and receiving messages between people
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whose cultural backgrounds can take them to interpret the signs of verbal and
non-verbal communication in different ways.
Chen and Starosta (1996, p. 353) offer a model of intercultural
communication competence. This model aims to improve interaction in
understanding, respecting, tolerating and integrating cultural differences, so that
they are ready to become a member of the world community. This model presents
a transformational process of interdependence symmetries can be explained
through three perspectives: (a) affective (intercultural sensitivity); (b) cognitive
(intercultural awareness); and (c) behavioral (intercultural skills). These three
perspectives are equally important these are inseparable and form a holistic
illustration of intercultural communication competence.

2.3 The reason to study language and intercultural communication

It is through intercultural communication that we come to create,
understand, and transform culture and identity. Intercultural communication is
communication between people with differing cultural identities. One reason we
should study intercultural communication is to foster greater self-awareness
(Martin & Nakayama, 2010). Our thought process regarding culture is often
“other focused,” meaning that the culture of the other person or group is what
stands out in our perception. However, the old adage “know thyself” is
appropriate, as we become more aware of our own culture by better understanding
other cultures and perspectives. Intercultural communication can allow us to step
outside of our comfortable, usual frame of reference and see our culture through a
different lens. Additionally, as we become more self-aware, we may also become
more ethical communicators as we challenge our ethnocentrism, or our tendency
to view our own culture as superior to other cultures.

As was noted earlier, difference matters, and studying intercultural

communication can help us better negotiate our changing world. Changing
economies and technologies intersect with culture in meaningful ways (Martin &
Nakayama). As was noted earlier, technology has created for some a global
village where vast distances are now much shorter due to new technology that
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make travel and communication more accessible and convenient (McLuhan,

1967).

However, as the following “Getting Plugged In” box indicates, there is

also a digital divide, which refers to the unequal access to technology and related
skills that exists in much of the world. People in most fields will be more
successful if they are prepared to work in a globalized world. Obviously, the
global market sets up the need to have intercultural competence for employees
who travel between locations of a multinational corporation. Perhaps less obvious
may be the need for teachers to work with students who do not speak English as
their first language and for police officers, lawyers, managers, and medical
personnel to be able to work with people who have various cultural identities.

One of the reasons to study Intercultural Communication is to learn adapt

to diversity. Diversity can expand our conception of what is possible —
linguistically, politically, and socially — as various lifestyles and ways of
thinking converge. The quality if being different to others, meet up with more
people who are different and still be able to communicate effectively have a major
impact to the peace imperative that will help us work through issues such as racial
and religious differences, which is something that most people want, to live in
peace with each other.

Also, when we are exposed to the study of Intercultural Communication

we become aware of ethnocentrism. The realization that one’s culture is not better
than another’s will dig us into developing self-reflexivity. Self-reflexivity will
help us to understand ourselves and our position in society. When learning about
different cultures and practices, we learn about who we are as an individual within
a society and we learn to see and appreciate other people’s culture.

Lastly, when we study Intercultural Communication, we improve our

communication skills to interact with people from different backgrounds. This
helps us to engage in the creative solving problem since we become more
resourceful when exposed to people who are different to us. Learning to listen to
the voices of others, to cultivate experiential knowledge and hearing about other
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experiences of people who are different from you can broaden your ways to view
the world. As people relate their experiences to other people’s experiences, we
learn many aspects of intercultural communication.

Studying Intercultural Communication will overall enhance our

relationship satisfaction to connect we others and to challenge ourselves to
become better people. People with this kind of question might be insensitive to
the magic power of intercultural communcation. Before the more specific
discussion of its benefits, I would like to give some suggestions upon intercultural
communcation research. If you only care about the immediate profits like money,
material enjoyment, or physical entertainment, I persuade you not to take
intercultural communcation course. However, once you devote yourselves into
intercultural communication, you will brace tons of insights into some weird
communcation behaviors, search out more scientific explanation on some
confusing issues, and hold more inclusive attitude towards the complicated
society or surroundings.

 Intercultural communcation course is also like a philosopy course, in

which you roar over the ocean of thoughts and struggle to analyze and
review what premier sages described our universe. It’s really enjoyable
meditationwhenever you will keep in mind.

 On the other hand, when we interpret cultural behaviors, decode cultural

codes, edit our own understanding of domestic culture elements, we are
working to solve some cultural conflicts or communcation conflicts, and
get rid of the prejudices. Many people with ethnocentrism have biases or
stereotype in communcation with people from different background. Then
intercultural communcation knowlege let a hand to these persons and help
them out from suffering of communcation problems. So it’s a necessary
course for someone who would like to think out of box.

 Last but not least, the globalization compels global citizens to equip them
with intercultural communication knowledge to fit into this trend.
Technology and transport facilited the communcation among people either
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from the west of American or the north of Japan. Cultural conflicts are the
biggest challenge for global people. Therefore, it’s impossible for them to
communicate without mentioning cultures.

PURPOSE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

The primary purpose of intercultural communication is to increase

understanding of culturally mediated communication phenomena. Within this
goal, there are three distinct research avenues: culture specific, culture general and
intercultural interaction. The “culture specific” focuses on identifying the
communication behaviors of a specific culture. The “culture general” seeks to
identify commonalities or universalities across cultures. A combination of both
culture-specific and culture general integrates different cultures interacting hence
called intercultural interaction (Zaharna, 2000).

IMPORTANCE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION TO

VARIOUS CAREER FIELDS

Education relies on effective interaction between the teacher and the

learners. Intercultural communication has become important because the schools
are becoming more diverse culturally. In his paper, Roux (2002) argued that
successful educators are effective communicators and thus culturally competent in
cross-cultural encounters. Teachers should therefore be sensitive to the potentially
problematic outcomes of intercultural communication in the culturally diverse
class. Communication can be a useful source of intercultural knowledge and
mutual enrichment between culturally diverse students if managed proactively by
the teacher. Otherwise, communication could be a source of frustration,
misapprehensions, intercultural conflict and ultimately school failure. Thus cross-
cultural communication is complex and potentially problematic in education.

Successful communication is a prerequisite of effective transfer of

knowledge in school. A rich repertoire of verbal and nonverbal behaviors
appropriate to the intercultural situation as well as affective capabilities to react
sensitively to fellow communicators from other cultures is a necessity in
education. Obstacles to effective intercultural communication include attitudes
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and dispositions, stereotyping, and ethnocentrism. A rich repertoire of verbal and

nonverbal behaviors appropriate to the intercultural situation as well as affective
capabilities to react sensitively to fellow communicators from other cultures is a
necessity in education (Linde, 1997). The business sector is probably most
affected with the issues of intercultural communication. Today with emergence of
multi-national companies and global companies, it is unlikely to do business
without communicating cross culturally. Targowski and Metwalli (2003) viewed
this millennium as era that global organizations will increasingly focus on the
critical value of cross-cultural communication process, efficiency and competence
and cost of doing business. In order to successfully communicate cross culturally,
knowledge and understanding of cultural factors such as values, attitudes, beliefs
and behavior should be acquired. Effective cross-cultural communication in
global economy provides pragmatic tools about how to define a communication
strategy, train representatives and conduct business talks in order to achieve
success. Intercultural communication is also an essential component in medicine.
For instance, little is known whether health care professionals communicate
effectively with the ethnic minority patients. Not only language difficulties, but
also cultural differences in beliefs and understanding of disease may result in
problems in intercultural.

Indonesia has derived various ethnicities, cultures, and languages, one of

them being Buru Regency. Buru is one of the regencies in Maluku province,
known as the area that has a diversity of ethnic, cultural, and religion. People
living in Buru Island can be distinguished between natives (Geba Bupolo) living
in mountainous areas and migrants (Geba Misnit) who live in coastal areas.
Currently, the number of Geba Misnit is relatively more from Geba Bupolo. The
immigrants and natives have always claimed to be the Buru. The Geba Bupolo
Fuka inhabits mountainous areas. The Geba Fuka Unen is those who live in the
central island, where there is a lake Rana. Those living on the slopes of the
mountain call themselves Geba Fuka Fafan, while Geba Masin is those who live
in coastal areas interact to social programs for the resettlement department
together with immigrant communities. Currently, the number of Geba Misnit
relatively less more than Geba Bupolo because of intermarriage with tribes
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outside as Buton, Bugis, Javanese, Sanana, who came to the district Buru to work
or because of transmigration. However, they always claim to be the Burunese
(Taher, 2013).

Some of the conflicts occurrences in Maluku and Buru Regency are

generally caused also by miscommunication across cultures and religions. As
known, the presence of gold mine in Buru Island since 2012 was often causing a
conflict between local citizen and the migrants. The conflicts are triggered by the
seizure of land mines and also disharmony between cultures and religions
(Tempo, 2012).

The phenomena show the crucial relationship between culture and

communication in understanding the intercultural communication. Therefore,
through the influence of culture, people learn to communicate. For instance,
people from Buton, Ambon or Sunda learn to communicate, such as Butonese,
Ambonese, and Sundanese. Their behavior may give a meaning, because it is
learned and known, and it is bound by the cultural behavior and attitude (Bin-
Tahir, 2015, p. 210; Tahir, 2015, p. 45). Thus, people looked at them through the
categories, the concepts, and labels produced by their culture where they live in
multicultural and multilingual society (Bin-Tahir, et al, 2017, p. 1210).

Since Buru Island is a complex and culturally diverse, the topic of

intercultural communication is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, the
benefit is to learn how to communicate between different cultures in a society and
increase the intercultural awareness. The awareness will lead to intercultural
communication competence that affects the ability to communicate successfully in
work environment, school, home, and community.

Communication is something that always has context, while culture is one

component in a context. The need to master the competence of Intercultural
Communication automatically encourages someone to master this competence, of
course, it is also driven by the increasingly fierce competition in a world that is in
the process of globalization. In the 21st century, the American council published
Standards for foreign language learning in teaching foreign language learning,
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namely the 5C standard: Communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and

communities, to elevate the importance of competency in communication and
language use.

The result of teaching foreign languages is to increase the competence of

Intercultural Communication and to raise the importance of tests in reviewing the
competence of a student which is carried out before and after teaching. The test
will show the student's knowledge and competence, one of which is through the
resulting score The test will also evaluate students' absorption during the
presentation of the material by looking at the process and progress that has been
achieved using certain variables.

PROBLEMS IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand,
the birth of culture is estimated to have taken place about 35,000 years ago.
Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have
become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is
considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on
our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects,
intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are
three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural
miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I
will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication
is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips.

The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures.
One aspect of communication style is language usage. Language has always been
perceived as a link between people but it can also constitute a barrier. Across
cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in
countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from
"maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many shades in between .
Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same
language is considerably more difficult . Each culture, has its distinct syntax,
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expressions and structure which causes confusion in intercultural communication.

For example , in Asian countries the word “no” is rarely used, so that “yea” can
mean “no” or “perhaps”. Therefore, an American traveling to Japan might be
considered impolite if he ignores this rule. Furthermore, individuals who are not
comfortable with a certain language may not be taken seriously. Such is the case
in the classroom, where a student who has a perfect knowledge of the subject in
question may have difficulty expressing his idea due to his inability to write
properly and therefore he would not receive the grade he truly deserves. Similarly
intercultural communication is dominant in the workplace. In the past, many
companies and organizations could operate entirely within their country of origin
and conduct their activities exclusively in their own native language.

Why Is Intercultural Communication Important to Study?

When we consider why we should learn more about intercultural

communication the answer should be clear: It is critical to your ability to survive
and thrive. Another way of indicating a concept is critical is to call it imperative.
Drawing from the work of Judith Martin and Thomas Nakayama, we examine
why it is imperative Essential, of vital importance, or crucial. (essential, of vital
importance, or crucial) that you learn more about intercultural communication.
The workplace is diverse and intercultural. Our communities are formed by
combinations of groups representing distinct cultures. Our nations are formed
from communities, and our world from nations.

In order to for you to survive and thrive, just as others want to, we have to learn to
manage conflict and seek peace. We have to recognize we only have our
environment on this planet to sustain us. We must recognize our community
demographics are changing and along with them our preferences, attitudes, and
ideas. Technology is an important element of intercultural communication, and
it’s imperative that we understand the wealth of tools available for us to come to
understand each other. We know ourselves through our interactions with others,
including those from distinct backgrounds and cultures. Finally, we need to
consider ethics when exploring our differences and promote and embrace respect,
tolerance, and acceptance.
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Environmental Imperative

In terms of the world and the universe, we humans have been around for a short
period of time. Actions bring consequences, and sometimes we cannot predict or
anticipate all the consequences that may result. If we build a potable water system
and provide clean water to a community, we can predict a lower rate of water-
borne diseases and improved health conditions. If we build a dam across a river to
create hydroelectric energy, we may see a decline in fish and the loss of land, even
entire communities, as we benefit ourselves with electricity and industry
production. If we create an energy system that uses hydrocarbons or even nuclear
reactions, we can see what electricity brings to the world, as well as pollution and
contamination. We share the air and water on this planet, and what occurs in one
country’s national borders impacts all other nations, even if only measurable to a
small degree. Our management of our actions, and both their intended and
unintended consequences, can be improved through effective intercultural
communication.

Let’s place our environmental imperative, The consideration of our

environment in our actions and interactions across cultures., or the crucial
consideration of our environment in our actions and interactions across cultures,
within a specific context. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti in 2010 cost
countless lives and untold damage, but in our example we will focus on how
intercultural communication made a positive difference in this tragedy. Across
social media and traditional communication channels people learned of the
devastation. From Doctors Without Borders to fundraising campaigns, people
came together, across languages and cultures, to make a difference. They donated
time and resources to rebuilding Haiti, an effort that continues to this day. All
communication is intercultural in some way, and as we recognize our
interconnectedness, we come to emphasize with others, particularly in their
moment of need. We also recognize that our own moment of need may arrive
without warning, and together we can respond and repair.

As we can see in this example, the problem is complex. Some elements are
beyond our control, as we still cannot accurately predict earthquakes, but other
 P a g e | 18

challenges represent opportunities for us to work together to produce a positive

resolution. Through intercultural communication, we can draw on the diverse
strengths of each community, from engineering and the sciences to health and
environmental studies, to come together to address tragedy, rebuilding our
communities.

Economic Imperative

For the vast majority of us on the planet, we have to work to meet our needs. In
the workplace, we encounter people from all walks of life, from diverse cultural
backgrounds, who sometimes speak languages that we do not. Carol Hymowitz of
the Wall Street Journal observes, “If companies are going to sell products and
services globally, then they will need a rich mix of employees with varied
perspectives and experiences. They will need top executives who understand
different countries and cultures.” We can build on this insight and observe that
you don’t even have to leave your own city or place of work to see this in action.

Imagine you work at Best Buy, an electronics retailer in the United States, and
provide customer service. If you were to keep a record of how many people you
helped in a day, a week, or a month, and you simply noted aspects of their cultural
differences, how diverse would your customers be? No doubt the range on the
front lines of commerce would be diverse and varied, reflecting not only
geography and location but also immigration trends for generations.

As an exercise, use your observational skills and make note of the distinct
representations of culture in your workplace for a day or a week. Share and
compare your results with your classmates.

The products we buy are imported from all over the world. Domestically, we also
produce goods and services and trade with each other. We need not only someone
who can cut the tree down but someone to transport it to the mill, someone who
can tailor it to a given specification, someone who can lathe it to an ornamental
table leg, someone who can finish it, and still more people to assemble the pieces,
package the product, and ship it to market. We also need someone to plant a tree
to replace the one cut down. We trade with each other, specialize in our job tasks
 P a g e | 19

and functions, and come together in an increasingly interconnected global

marketplace through a process called globalization.

The process through which we trade with each other, specialize in our job
tasks and functions, and come together in an increasingly interconnected global
marketplace.. When the team that assembles the table loses their jobs because the
factory has been relocated to another country where wages are lower or the tax
climate is more advantageous, the ripple effects throughout the community are felt
by everyone. When wild swings in the marketplace produce too much supply or
demand, we can’t simply place the excess stock on clearance and forget about it.
Our growing economic interdependence means job losses and outsourcing, and
minor shifts in markets and trade have almost immediate, local impacts.

If we start from a personal perspective, we can look around the workplace today
and see that it is increasingly diverse, and in order for you to be successful in it,
effective intercultural communication is key.

If we expand our discussion to a local level, we can see our communities are
increasingly diverse and interdependent. The microbrewery we might find in a
rural town now has its own website and no doubt ships all over the world. Trade
and commerce are blurring the lines between countries, just as Google Translate
(translate.google.com) in particular and the Internet in general are providing
amazing ways to interact across cultures.

The economic imperative, the consideration of our economic activities as

intercultural interactions., or the consideration of our economic activities as
intercultural interactions, calls on us all to learn to effectively communicate with
others on the job and around the world.

What we earn and how we spend it makes an impact on our environment.

If we choose to buy a product from one country over another, it is similar to
voting, only instead of a ballot we use money to make our voice heard. Choosing
a product by not only where it is made but how it is made is another element of
our economic imperative. Child labor, for example, is a worldwide issue.
Companies faced with the news release of their unfair exploitation of child labor
 P a g e | 20

often quickly change their production protocols. Choosing a product by how the
person who made it is paid also a consideration. A fair-wage coffee bean may
reflect a production process that provides a fair wage to the grower and the
harvester of the product. Finally, we can choose products that make the world a
better place, such as by buying shoes because the company will donate a pair to a
child in need in a developing country.

Effective intercultural communication is necessary on the job, in our

communities, and across the globe, and consideration of our economic activity,
and how it impacts others, is imperative.

2.4 The characteristics of an ethical intercultural communicator

The communication that we have with people who have different cultural
backgrounds from us is certainly not easy. This is because each culture has
different ethical or moral standards. As a result, there is no ethical standard of
communication for us to decide that something is good or bad; true or false.
Usually, we rely on "personal taste" ethics or morals as our guide to decide and
evaluate what we do and what others do.

Family, religion, and culture are teachers who teach us to feel and decide what is
right or wrong. What needs to be understood is that what is considered right by
one culture can be considered wrong by another culture. This difference
sometimes causes clashes in interactions between cultures. For that, we need to
understand the various ethical systems that exist and apply them to create
effective and ethical intercultural communication.

Communication skills are considered fundamental in the workplace; but

let’s take this a step further and consider the implications of applying these skills
in a cross-cultural setting, and doing so ethically.

Effective communication involves expressing oneself clearly, being a good

listener, using appropriate body language, and how a message is delivered and
received. It is inherently a two way process. Communication operates through a
system of customs and principles that are essentially determined by people’s
culture. When the communicators don’t share these principles, a communication
 P a g e | 21

breakdown, or miscommunication, will typically occur. Of course there are

various types of communication in the workplace: face-to-face, email, phone, etc.
and for each of these the style of communicating will vary according to culture.

Webster’s Dictionary defines ethical as “conforming to an accepted

standard of good behavior” and the Oxford Dictionary defines ethics as “a set of
moral principles or code”.  Consequently, when we speak of ethical
communication in the global workplace we see that cultural customs and
principles affect both the communication style and the definition of what is
considered ethical.

Let’s look at three areas where communication styles differ across cultures and
how we can overcome some of the challenges presented and still ensure we
maintain an ethical approach.

1. Explicit Vs Implicit.

Most Western cultures, especially Anglo, Germanic and Scandinavian

groups, will communicate explicitly, that is, almost all important
information is communicated in a direct and unambiguous manner. This
style also reflects our ethics, which is to communicate clearly and
truthfully without being vague or misleading.  Such cultures as Asian,
Middle Eastern and Latin American tend to communicate implicitly; they
rely on the context to communicate the most important information, and
may take relationships and setting into account, resulting in an indirect and
ambiguous style. Ethics in these groups require that politeness and
avoiding embarrassment take precedence over truth; in fact, for many of
these cultures there is no absolute truth. The avoidance of saying ‘no’ in
some Asian cultures is an example how these two styles can threaten
communication.  So how can we ensure we are not offending by being too
direct, and conversely, determine what is being conveyed in a vague
response? Simply being aware of the situation certainly helps. Making
others feel comfortable and relaxed can override what you say, and I
would encourage the listener to ask open-ended questions to clarify vague
 P a g e | 22

answers. Being aware of your own values and principles, and not judging
the other party by your standards can alleviate a lot of frustration.

2. Non-Verbal
We use several non-verbal signals when we communicate such as
touching, facial expressions, gestures, body positioning, eye contact,
speech volume and tone, physical distance etc. These can have different
meanings across cultures.  Another major difference is the use of silence.
Most Western cultures tend to want to fill long silences, and this can be
perceived as arrogant by cultures where silence is interpreted as a sign of
respect. We may interpret avoidance of eye contact as an indication of
dishonesty or lack of sincerity, whereas in many African cultures it is
considered respectful.

In the global workplace it is best to observe, and then modify our non-
verbal communication signals to reflect those of the other party where
possible.  I am not suggesting to completely mirror these signals, but
things such as avoiding touching when it creates discomfort is an easy
adjustment to make. Also, don’t make assumptions based on your own
non-verbal communication style and rely more on verbal clarification. A
smile is sometimes used to hide anger so you may want to make sure you
have understood correctly by verifying the meaning verbally. 

3. Language
One of the reasons English has become the lingua franca of the business
world is because of its richness, directness and precision. The Thesaurus
exists only in English, and there are about 200,000 commonly used words
in English (whereas French, for example has 100,000). Some speakers of
English as a second language, especially those from cultures that don’t
want to lose face, pretend they understand when they really do not. On the
other hand, pretending not to understand when in fact they do is a
negotiation technique used by some others. Unfortunately we now have
the phenomenon where two communicators are often both non-native
 P a g e | 23

speakers of English, adding another dimension to the challenge of global

communication.

Language is fraught with difficulties such as idioms, slang, jargon and

euphemisms; these should be avoided when communicating ethically with
a non-native speaker. Keep it simple, clear and use standard language.
Clarify what you are saying and offer the other party the opportunity to do
the same.

In concluding we can see that this is an extremely complex issue, but to

begin the process of communicating ethically in the global workplace we
should build awareness so we can anticipate the differences, and then
observe and adapt, while still maintaining our own values and ethics. In
fact, one could say that taking into consideration both your own and the
other party’s cultural factors when communicating, in itself constitutes
ethical behavior.

The communication that we have with people who have different cultural
backgrounds from us is certainly easy. This is because each culture has different
ethical or moral standards. , There is no ethical standard of communication for us
to decide that something is good or bad; true or false. Usually, we rely on ethical
or moral "taste" as our guide to decide and usually what we do and what other
people do.

Family, religion and culture are teachers who teach us to feel and decide what is
right or wrong. What needs to be implemented is that what constitutes a culture
can be considered wrong by another culture. This difference sometimes causes
clashes in interactions between cultures. For that, we need to understand the
various ethical systems that exist and apply them to create effective and ethical
intercultural communication.

Definition
 P a g e | 24

The definition or understanding of ethics has been proposed by many experts.

Here are some of them :

• Judith M. Martin et al (2002) stated that ethics is defined or interpreted as

moral or what is considered right and wrong.
• Edward T. Hall (2005), ethics is a moral standard where actions are
judged good or bad, right or wrong.
• R. L Johannesen (1990) defines ethics as the degree or degree of truth
and error in human behaviour.

As mentioned above, each culture has its own ethical and moral standards that
trigger ethical conflicts. Thus, according to Liliweri (2007: 37) in intercultural
communication, various ethical issues that arise provide lessons about how we
apply and develop various issues of intercultural ethical knowledge.

According to Stella Ting-Toomey (2011), intercultural communication ethics

covers several topics such as global operational standards and local justice issues,
multinational company power and responsibility in the local culture, cultural
values and communication conflicts, and certain ethical issues faced when
intercultural communication training and research.

The ethics of intercultural communication are as follows:

1. Be honest with yourself

Before communicating between cultures, it is better if we have an honest
assessment regarding our communication style, beliefs and prejudices.
This is because the attitudes we have towards cultural differences can
affect the way we communicate with others.
2. Implement supportive communication behavior
Various kinds of supportive behaviour can increase the effectiveness of
intercultural communication. One example of supportive communication
behaviour is empathy towards others. What is meant by empathy is
understanding another person's perspective from that point of view. By
being empathetic, we will not be careless in evaluating other people.
 P a g e | 25

3. Developing sensitivity to diversity

Humans were created with a variety of different backgrounds such as
ethnicity, race, and others. When we communicate with other people, we
are learning about various things from other people. The diversity we have
provides more opportunities for us to learn. For this reason, we need to
make time to learn about other people's cultures.
4. Avoid stereotypes
When we communicate with other people who have cultural differences
with us, it helps us to avoid making generalizations or assumptions about
other people's cultural backgrounds. We better find out through the person
concerned.
5. Avoiding ethnocentrism
Each individual has a different cultural background. It is undeniable that
people will feel that their culture is the best compared to other people's
cultures. However, it should be understood that culture also has
advantages and disadvantages. By knowing and understanding the
strengths and weaknesses of our culture and willing to study other people's
cultures, we will be able to communicate effectively with the people
concerned.
6. Develop a sensitivity code
The sensitivity code refers to the ability to use verbal and nonverbal
language by the cultural norms of the person with whom you are talking.
The more we know about other people's cultures, the easier it will be for
us to adapt.

7. Search for shared codes

One of the keys to finding a shared code is to be willing to be open-
minded about differences and at the same time determine the
communication styles be used to adapt during intercultural
communication.
8. Use and encourage descriptive feedback
 P a g e | 26

Effective feedback can promote adaptation and this is very important in

intercultural communication. Communication participants must be willing
to receive feedback and display a supportive attitude. Feedback given
should be prompt, honest, specific, and clear.
9. Open communication channels
Communication between cultures is not easy. Therefore, we need to
develop a patient attitude while interacting with others so that mutual
understanding can be achieved.
10. Want to listen
The hardest thing we do when communicating with other people is to be
willing to listen to what other people have to say. People who have power
tend not to have the motivation to listen to other people. Listening is not
just asking other people something but educating ourselves. Do not let us
wait for others to educate ourselves.

Benefits of Studying Intercultural Communication Ethics

Studying intercultural communication ethics can provide several benefits,
including:

• We know and understand that each culture has different ethical standards
• We can know and understand the various ethics of communication
between cultures in general
• Knowing and understanding the ethics of intercultural communication
can increase the effectiveness of intercultural communication
• We learn to be able to handle conflicts that may occur

This is a brief review of the ethics of intercultural communication. Hopefully, we

can add insight and knowledge about various ethics when interacting with other
people with various cultural backgrounds.
 P a g e | 27

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

CHAPTER III CONCLUSION

3.1 Conclusion
Based on the description above, it can be concluded that:

Culture-based learning allows us to better understand a person's character through

our own culture, not just imitating and or accepting the information conveyed but
can create meaning, understanding, and meaning from information obtained from
cultures that are very different from our own culture. Cross-cultural
communication that takes place develops in every individual or member of society
who has different backgrounds because it can be understood by other individuals
so that there are no misunderstandings in communicating or in developing
attitudes and characters from various cultures and for the ethical of intercultural
communication,

The communication that we have with people who have different cultural
backgrounds from us is certainly not easy. This is because each culture has
different ethical or moral standards. As a result, there is no ethical standard of
communication for us to decide that something is good or bad; true or false.

3.2 Suggestion
Therefore, the science of intercultural communication is an important
thing to learn because we live with a wide variety of people and a variety of
different cultures by studying the ethics of communicating with our cultures, we
don't make other people uncomfortable with us speaking in other words,
maintaining norms.
 P a g e | 28

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